Judicial Law Clerks
Official O*NET title: Judicial Law Clerks (23-1012.00)
Also called: appellate law clerk, career judicial law clerk, career law clerk, judicial assistant, judicial clerk
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing judicial law clerks work
5 of 10 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Red (lots of AI use) — 50%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Respond to questions from judicial officers or court staff on general legal issues (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Talk with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Review dockets of pending litigation to make sure adequate progress (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Communicate with counsel regarding case management or procedural requirements (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Enter information into computerized court calendar, filing, or case management systems — no recorded AI use
- Verify that all files, complaints, or other papers are available and in the proper order — no recorded AI use
- Coordinate judges' meeting and appointment schedules — no recorded AI use
- Participate in conferences or discussions between trial attorneys and judges — no recorded AI use
- Prepare periodic reports on court proceedings, as required — no recorded AI use
- Supervise law students, volunteers, or other staff assigned to the court — no recorded AI use
- Maintain judges' law libraries by assembling or updating appropriate documents — no recorded AI use
- Perform courtroom duties — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases”. Try the prompt for: “Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and judicial law clerks
Will AI replace judicial law clerks?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 5 of the 10 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Red rating (lots of AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 13 of the 18 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which judicial law clerk tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases; research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court; draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
Which judicial law clerk tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: talk with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders; keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes; attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 22% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a judicial law clerk start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Judicial Law Clerks ranks #137 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #2 of 6 in Legal.
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